Nightmare State
by Feathersprite305
Summary: Formerly known as Dreams can be helpful. Someone pointed out the it was the wrong story. Um, Axl has bad dreams, X finds and loses guilt, and Zero is...Zero. Duh?


Just a quick short on Axl's life after the events in X7. Real quick, so if it's not long, don't blame me.

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"That guy, why isn't he up?" X grumbled as he, Zero, Alia, and Signas all walked down the hall to Axl's room. The gunslinger had no place to go when Red was destroyed, and though X was against it in the beginning, he was conned by Zero into saying yes. The new gen, however, always seemed to wake up late.

"Maybe he's getting ready right now?" Zero suggested. X turned to stare at him.

"That still means he woke up late." Zero sweatdropped.

"Yeah, you're right." Alia had a concerned look.

"Maybe it's guilt?" They all stopped to stare at her. Alia suddenly looked nervous.

"What I'm saying is, he blames himself for what happened to Red, doesn't he? And since he was the only member of Red Alert to survive, it probably makes him feel a hundred times worse. So, he's probably not getting enough sleep." X felt a bit of guilt slap him after she stopped. Here he was, angry at the Reploid child for being the one to start this mess, and yet right now he was suffering even worse. They had just reached the door that would open to Axl's room, when a low whimper was heard. X froze.

"No...please...Papa~..." Axl?

"Axl, are you okay?" X asked quietly as he opened the door. Axl was squirming in his bed, the covers twisted around him like a coil of chains. He let out another low whimper, followed by a sob. X and Zero approached him quietly. X was just a foot away when Axl began screaming.

"NO!!! STOP!!!PLEASE!!!" He was viciously struggling with something in his nightmare. And he was apparently not winning.

"Axl!" All thoughts of silence fled his mind as X dashed over to the younger Reploid, and shook him vigorously. Axl's eyes flew open, revealing blank green eyes. X called him again, and the light returned to his eyes, as well they started to leak.

"Eh-X?" Axl was still shaking slightly, but as he took in Zero, Alia, and Signas, he stopped.

"What's up? I slept late again, didn't I?" Axl suddenly realized that his face was wet, and he touched the spot to find dried tears. 'I was...crying?' He thought, when he was sudenly swept up into a hug by X. He blinked confusedly, before registering Zero's faint snickering and Alia saying something. X was holding him with his left arm under his legs, and his right around Axl's shoulders. He remembered a day, once before, when someone else had held him like this.

"Red..." He whispered, before a startled noise caught his attention. He looked up to find the other four staring at him, X wearing a guilty look on his face.

"What?" Zero approached them, and took Axl from X. They then walked out into the hallway.

"Axl...I need you to answer me truthfully." The brunette gave them a confused look.

"Okay?" X took a deep breath, as though afraid to ask his question.

"Just now, before you woke up I mean, you said something in your sleep." Axl nodded, even more confused.

"You said, 'Papa', and when we went to wake you up, you said Red's name." Axl's emerald green eyes widened.

"Um, okay?" X sighed, nearly in tears.

"Um, when you said Red's name, you also said, 'Please stop.' Please answer me truthfully." Axl was shaking again, and even Zero stroking his back wouldn't calm him.

"Axl...was Red hurting you in your dream?" Axl moved fast, a blur to Alia's eyes. But one second he was sitting on Zero's lap, the next, he was standing up, while X was on the ground, clutching his cheek.

"You dare...You suggest...Red would NEVER hurt me. NEVER!" Axl shouted. X calmly moved to an indian sitting position.

"I know, but in your dreams, it's possible the dream turned Red's memory into something you'd fear." Axl moved to hit X again, but Zero stoped him by pulling him back onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around the brunette in a vice grip.

"Red would never hurt me, and I know that!" X was really worried now.

"If Red wasn't hurting you, then who?" Axl looked down.

"..."

"Well?"

"...Mumble."

"Excuse me?"

"...Gungaroo. Back before Red was infected." Zero, X, Alia, and Signas were suprised to hear about this. Axl had never talked about his days in Red Alert.

"When Red first found me, I was still really young. Gungaroo was the same age. He thought Red favored me over him, and got really jealous. Now that I think on it, that's probably why he so easily became a Maverick."

X patted Axl on the leg, afraid of being kicked, but Axl was too busy in thought to notice.

"He used to pester me a lot, and Stonekong and Tonion were the only ones who'd help me. I would never fight him, I always walked away, but this one time..." Axl trailed off, looking very uncomfortable.

"I...I figure it was the first time I ever used my copy shot."

_Flashback:_

_"Stop it, Gungaroo! Axl is a comrade!" Red shouted at the child Reploid while helping a young Axl who sported a busted lip to get up on his feet. The Reploid glowered as Axl, who had a dazed look, clung to Red._

_"I was just practicing my new move. Triangle Kick!" He yelled while balancing on his tail, then shooting off like a bullet._

_"Not my fault dummy got in da way." Red growled, he knew Gungaroo disliked Axl, but to act on his dark feelings..._

_"Meany! I never did nothing to you!" Axl hollered, charging out from behind Red._

_"Oh yeah, tough guy? What'er'ya gonna do?" The kangaroo Reploid yelled back. Axl gulped, then turned away. Gungaroo growled, he wasn't getting away now._

_"You always run, turn yer back on me! Are you really that afraid?!" Axl turned to face him._

_"No, it's because I'm not a bully." Axl then turned to walk away, when a scorching pain erupted on his back. He cried out, even as Tonoin ran to deflect the mad Reploid now bouncing around the room. Red ran behind the dancer to help up the fallen gunner. Gungaroo saw this, and aimed so that Tonoin was knocked away._

_"Don't help him!! If he can't fight on his own-" Axl gasped as the Reploid's glowing attack came close._

_"Then he ain't worth keepin' !" Gungaroo nearly shouted in glee when he was a split second away from getting rid of the pest, when Axl suddenly disappeared. He looked around, before someting roughly seized him by the back of his neck. He was roughly turned around, staring into Red's furious eyes. Only..._

_It wasn't Red holding him, because Red was acrossthe room, holding Tonion up._

_"You're gonna regret that." Axl's voice floated out from the copy Red's lips, dangerously smooth. Gungaroo squeaked when the hold on his throat turned violent._

_"Hey, hey, Axl, Axl. C'mon buddy, we're team mates, right? Teamies don't hurt teamies, right?" Red's face twisted into a grin._

_"Right..." Gungaroo sighed in relief. Then gulped as Axl's trademark gun clicked next to his temple._

_"But, you said it yourself, we aren't team mates." Gungaroo yelled, even as the bang filled the now silent room. Gungaroo opened his eyes to find the pistol pointed at the wall directly behind him, missing him by a hairs breadth. Axl was normal now. He turned to walk away again._

_"Remember, Gungaroo. I'm not a bully." He glared over his shoulder at the Reploid, who cowered._

_"But if need be, I will shoot you."_

_End Flashback._

"Wow, didn't know you had the circuits." Zero replied after the minute's silence when Axl had finished. The brunette was now sitting on the floor, curled up into X, who held the younger while he was speaking, Zero sitting nearby.

"Axl, I'm sorry. For everything you had to go through, for having to put up with my attitude when we first met, for everything up until now." Axl looked up sideways into the sea green eyes. He was sitting on X's lap, his legs swung over X's, back resting against X's left arm. He smiled.

"No, it's fine X. Somehow, I think, if Gungaroo hadn't made me do that, I wouldn't have gotten to meet you." He bumped his head against the blue Reploid's throat gently.

"I'm okay now. I know that nothing will hurt me, not while you guys are around." X smiled, Zero as well, and Alia suddenly yawned.

"Oh boy, now I'm tired." Signas got to his feet.

"I think we all oughta go sleep." They bid them goodbye, leavng Axl, Zero, and X to go into Axl's room.

"Um, Zero, X?" They turned to the blushing Reploid.

"Even though I said I'm okay, will you guys stay here tonight?" They smiled.

"Sure. What's family for?"

End

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Blech, written at 2:00 am.

Sorry if it sux.


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